puffins!

Today was our second day on the Northumbrian coast, and we had a bit of a plan in mind. One that was just a little exciting… PUFFINS!

Those of you that have been avid readers of this blog will know that whilst in Iceland a couple of years ago, I became a tad obsessed with puffins. Well, all going to plan it was off to visit more. So off we jumped in the car, and headed to the nearby seaside village of Seahouses.

Seahouses is the closest point to the nearby Farne Islands, home to quite a bit of seabird life, but this time of year is Puffin breeding season, so the main island Inner Farne is usually teeming with the little rascals. Unfortunately we were at the tail end of the breeding season, and as they arrived on the earlier side this year, many had disappeared. But word was that there was still quite a few around, so win!

all aboard

On it was to our trusty vessel Glad Tidings IV with a bunch of others out for a tour of the islands and the opportunity to jump off at Inner Farne. Some very choppy waters greeted us, but Kate’s stomach was a trooper and it was uneventful in the best way possible (not so for a couple of other passengers).

popping in to see the locals

The islands have various small buildings on them, but none are inhabited as such. They were in days gone by by lighthouse keepers and the like, but these days not so much. Inner Farne has a dedicated group of rangers, but otherwise, it was a tour of the islands to see what we could see.

puffins!

off to feed the family

And we were in luck! Puffins! There were some small groups chilling out in the waters that we saw early on. It actually seemed that many were disappearing every minute, as you would see one of the cheeky birds zoom by with an eel or some fish in its beak.

just hanging out on the beach

As we were getting about the islands, some small groups of seals could be found hanging about too. Oh the life of a sea creature hey?

welcome to the farne islands

After getting about the islands for a bit, it was time to jump off the boat. We got to land on Inner Farne for about an hour to see what we could see.

this little guy was the best

Sadly, not many puffins were on land… it was all about looking up and seeing them zoom past, usually too quick for the camera. I did see this little fella just hanging about for a bit, and he was nice enough to pose (I am sure a puffin expert will see this blog and tell me he is a she).

not a puffin

not a puffin either

As we explored the island, there was a bunch of other birdlife hanging about. My knowledge of anything non-puffin is a bit limited, so maybe I saw something rare? Who knows. But it was fun to see them all chilling out on the island with their little ones.

In no time at all it was back on the boat to head into shore. On the way we saw a few dolphins (or porpoise… it seems the jury is out) along side the boat. Unfortunately in all the pushing and shoving of people on the boat to get a glimpse, there was no cool photo. Doesn’t matter.

braving the causeway

And with that we were back! It was only early afternoon, so we decided to head out on another close journey, one that we had originally planned for the next day. But the tides were favourable, so we decided to head off to Lindisfarne, or Holy Island as it is known. This island is accessible by a causeway that is governed by the tide, and as luck would have it, we had a change to get on and off the island with our car. So off we headed!

As we approached it turned out that it was not just any day we had decided to visit. Rather it was some special viking day, as the many youngsters (and many adults) in viking costume attested to as we drove in. Suddenly I was very confused if I was in England or Iceland again.

lindisfarne priory

We had a few hours to explore the island, so it was off to see the main two features… the priory and the castle. First stop was the priory, were many of the ruins still stood. This was quite a famous religious location, but it seemed today was all about the vikings taking over, as the priory was the site for many costumed folk. I blame Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones personally.

hedgehog!

So we looked about the site and were also treated to some displays of historical reenactment. It was a bit to kitschy for me, so I went for a wander up the nearby hill to look over the island. On my way I came across this lovely fella hanging out on the side of the path. He was all a bit taken aback by the craziness too I think.

monument on the hill

On the hill there were amazing views of the castle, nearby Bamburgh and out across Northumbria.

oh those crazy vikings

I also had a view of the crazy viking battle that was taking place in the priory. Oh those crazy role playing folk.

lindisfarne castle

We had not too much time before we were to be stuck on the island, so we did a quick wander to the castle. We didn’t have time to head  right in, but to approach it was pretty amazing, all menacing there on the rock.

kate tries to take the caste home with her

your castle is served!

castle in the sky

We did have time for some cheesy photos though. Of course we did you all say. There was time for some normal ones too though.

And with that, it was time to get off the island while we could and head back to Bamburgh. Our last night in England before heading to Scotland. Woo!

another rainy summers day

Next morning, nice and dry again, it was time to keep heading north on our way to Scotland. Given it was a few hundred miles away, we decided to spend a few days making our way. Kate had a plan, which was to make our way to Bamburgh, about 200 miles away for a couple of evenings, where we could checkout the Northumbrian coast and visit some historic places along the way.

no you’re not seeing things… it is really that wonky

So after a big brekky it was in the car and away! We didn’t get far though, making a quick stop by the church in Chesterfield for a quick photo. The pic probably shows why we wanted to make a quick stop. Nope, that is not a weird photo illusion… the spire really is that wonky. It looks quite cool and it amazing that a church would allow something so distinctive to be built. But they did, and as a result we made a visit.

wind farms everywhere

With photo done, it was on the M1 and heading north. There wasn’t much to report on the way. We got to see many of the wind farms that are dotted all over the UK. Why we haven’t gone with them at home I will never know.

spotting the angel of the north

On our travels we also made our way past the city of Newcastle. Although we didn’t go into the centre, we did see their main attraction from the motorway. The Angel of the North is a public art work that overlooks Newcastle and the A1 motorway. I only got a quick chance to snap a pic out the window. It is the second time I have seen it from the motorway, and yet still don’t feel compelled to get closer. I’m sure it is more impressive up close.

say hi to hogwarts

We kept on trucking, but not to Bamburgh, rather to our main destination, Alnwick Castle. About 1000 years old, Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in the UK (behind Windsor Castle) and is in amazing condition. In fact much is still intact, and as a result is still a main residence for the Percy Family, as well as the site of many films and TV programs (one of which, apparently Downton Abbey) was being filmed when we visited. The biggest drawcard though would be as home of Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films.

not a bad place to live

So rather than just leave it as a castle to casually wander, it is full of tours and costumed characters. Thankfully not too much, so it still retains the dignity of a historic site. But we still took the opportunity to get to see all the spots where Harry and co got up to shenanigans.

local harry and hagrid

The folk obviously didn’t waste the opportunity to have their own Harry Potter characters wandering around. In fact there was a not too horrible Harry and Hagrid entertaining the crowds.

a knight being knighted by a knight

The other concessions to the crowds was to have some some more entertaining things for the kids. One was the chance to dress up like knights/princesses/loons. Of course we took the opportunity to do so, what did you expect?

spooky!

As well as this there was the Dragon’s Quest, slightly kitschy, slightly dodgy, “spooky” area. As we made our way through dark corridors and mirror halls, things would jump out at us. I will admit, that something got both Kate and I at different times, but it was a bit lame. Thankfully it was one of the few things to detract from the dignity of the castle. But of course it was still kinda fun.

visiting the locals

The rain began to settle in, so we took that opportunity to finish up. A quick drive and we were in the seaside town of Bamburgh, our home for the next couple of nights. Even though it was pouring, we decided to wander to the nearby beach and Bamburgh Castle. Bamburgh Castle is also owned by the same family as Alnwick, but sadly we didn’t have a chance to pop in and say hello. Rather we just wandered about. It looked quite amazing and dramatic on the hill overlooking the sea.

mary poppins!

It was a tad windy and rainy down on the beach. Hopefully I do get a chance to have a dip in the next couple of days!

settling in for some rainy proms

And with this, my time at the Uni of Warwick was sadly over.

Yep, 5 weeks had disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was a great time that was spent there and my hosts Jane and Sara were incredible. I feel like during the time I have made quite a bit of headway into my research, and have plenty to go on with, so all in all it was a very fruitful time.

But that’s work! With a few weeks of leave officially arriving before I get back to work, Kate and I left the uni late in the arvo, and started heading north. Our plan was to head to the town of Chesterfield, which was nearby to Chatsworth House, a historic stately home, where we had tickets for the last night of the Proms extravaganza.

The drive up was relatively painless… all motorway, although we were getting used to the endless roadworks and traffic by the end of it. But with plenty of time we had checked in to our hotel and were making our way to the venue. Sadly, this is when a real English summer decided to arrive.

what’s a proms without champagne and pims?

Everyone was saying that the hot summer was too good to be true, and as it turns out the night we really could have done with some nice weather, the clouds rolled in and the rains came. You see, the Proms were being held in the surrounding grounds… perfect for a pleasant summers evening, but not so much for a rainy one. So with rain jackets and brollies in check, we braved the rains and settled in on the grass, getting ready for the symphonic extravaganza.

picnic, england style

The setting under normal circumstances would have been ideal. Historic homestead in the background, easy access to Pimms and champers, and the UK Symphonic Orchestra banging out the classics. Indeed everyone was taking it very seriously, with many parties bring out tables, chairs, food, and even the odd candelabra.

lots of pomp and circumstance

So what followed was 2.5 hours of orchestral classics. Even though it is not typically my thing, I knew virtually all the pieces. We even got some low brow classics like the main Star Wars theme. They must have known I was coming.

going out with a bang

Even though it was still pouring with rain, we finished with some fireworks to celebrate the last night of the Proms. Me, I celebrated the wet, but fun, night out by getting dry.